Gardening

Gardening is where we will share all our growing tips with you. Gardening is the perfect parallel to connecting with people. Seeds are like people, you raise them, give them love and attention, train them, harvest, then do it all over again...

Seed Directions

We numbered your card so you can identify the variety and learn how to care for it. You can find your type by looking at the sections below. We placed the seeds in chronological order. All seeds have an 80+% germination rate, so you should get one or two seeds to grow. Look up almanac.com for germinating and planting advice. Do your best. The more energy/care you put into your plant, the more it will give back.

Tomatoes

Squash

Melons

There are twelve different Heirloom GMO Free Tomato seeds that we passed out during the parade.

Watering is very important from planting until fruit begins to form. While melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water per week.

Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Water at the vine’s base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit are growing. Dry weather produces the sweetest melon.

If you choose to fertilize (and many do), make sure it’s deliver more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. However, after flowering begins, use a fertilizer with less nitrogen. We like to use liquid seaweed.

Pruning isn’t necessary, but vine productivity may be improved if you do not allow lateral (side) vines to grow and stick to the main vine. When the plant is young, just cut off the end buds as they form (before the side shoots become vines). You can also pinch off some blossoms to focus the energy on fewer melons (though it’s a challenge to kill off a potential fruit!).

Vines produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. Do not be concerned if the male flowers fall off. The female flowers (which have a swollen bulb at the base) will stay on the vine and bear fruit.

Blossoms require pollination to set fruit, so be kind to the bees!

As fruit is ripening, prevent rotting by gently lifting it and putting some cardboard or straw between the fruit and the soil.

Peas

There are three different Heirloom GMO Free Pea seeds that we passed out during the parade.

The types are:

#34 Green Arrow, #35 Sugar Ann, #36 Little Marvel.

Care:

Make sure that you have well-drained, humus-rich soil.

Poke in any seeds that wash out. (A chopstick is an ideal tool for this.)

Be sure, too, that you don’t fertilize the soil too much. Peas are especially sensitive to too much nitrogen, but they may like a little bonemeal, for the phosphorus content.

Though adding compost or manure to the soil won’t hurt, peas don’t need heavy doses of fertilizer. They like phosphorus and potassium.

Water sparsely unless the plants are wilting. Do not let plants dry out, or no pods will be produced.

For tall and vine varieties, establish poles or a trellis at time of planting.

Do not hoe around plants to avoid disturbing fragile roots.

It’s best to rotate pea crops every year or two to avoid a buildup of soil-borne diseases.

Beans

There are four different Heirloom GMO Free Bean seeds that we passed out during the parade.